Apparatus for applying locking sleeves to tying material

ABSTRACT

LOCKING SLEEVE BLANKS ARE SUCCESSIVELY FED TO A POSITION LOCATED BETWEEN A STATIONARY FIRST SHEARING ABUTMENT MEANS AND A SECOND SHEARING ABUTMENT MEANS ON A MOVABLE ARM WHICH ALSO CARRIES A PAIR OF JAWS FOR CLOSING THE BLANKS. WHEN THE LEADING BLANK IS ADVANCED TO THE SECOND SHEARING ABUTMENT MEANS LOCATED BETWEEN THE JAWS, THE ARM IS MOVED TOWARD OVERLAPPING PORTIONS OF A TYING MATERIAL SURROUNDING A PACKAGE SO THAT THE BLANK IS SEVERED AND EMBRACES THE TYING MATERIAL, WHEREUPON THE JAWS ARE CLOSED TO FORM THE BLANK INTO A LOCKING SLEEVE ABOUT THE OVERLAPPING PORTIONS OF THE TYING MATERIAL.

United States Patent Inventor Edgar Medtler Radevormwald, Germany Appl. No. 765,333 Filed Oct. 7, 1968 Patented June 28, 1971 Assignee Bruninghaus & Co. Bezett KG Wuppertal-Wichlinghausen, Germany Priority Oct. 7, 1967 Germany P 15 86 509.5

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING LOCKING SLEEVES TO TYING MATERIAL Primary Examiner-Billy J. Wilhite Attorney-Michael S. Striker ABSTRACT: Locking sleeve blanks are successively fed to a position located between a stationary first shearing abutment means and a second shearing abutment means on a movable arm which also carries a pair of jaws for closing the blanks. When the leading blank is advanced to the second shearing abutment means located between the jaws, the arm is moved Claims 7 Drawing Figs toward overlapping portions of a tying material surrounding a US. Cl 100/30 package so that the blank is severed and embraces the tying Int. Cl i B65b 13/34 material, whereupon the jaws are closed to form the blank into Field of Search... 100/30; a locking sleeve about the overlapping portions of the tying l40/93.4; 81/91; 56/464,465 material.

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SHEET 2 OF 3 PATENTEUJUN28|97| 3587mm am 3 UF 3 [NVENTOR EDGAR MECKLER ATTORNEY APPARATUS FOR APPLYING LOCKING SLEEVES TO TYING MATERIAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Apparatus is known for automatically closing preformed locking sleeve blanks about overlapping portions of a tying material surrounding a package so that a locking sleeve holding the loop of the tying material in position is formed. The locking sleeve blanks are individually fed which has the disadvantage that the blanks have to be very carefully filled into a storage magazine to be supplied in the correct position to the jaws by which they are deformed to function as locking sleeves. Since the blanks are preshaped and bent about fold lines, the closed locking sleeves are accurately shaped and uniformly abut the overlapping portions of the tying material.

It is also known to feed a metal band to the closing jaws, and such metal band has lateral notches spaced distances corresponding to the length of the required locking sleeve. Sections of the bands are severed at the notches, and the cutoff band section deformed into a locking sleeve. This apparatus has the disadvantage that the cutoff band sections are fiat, and are irregularly deformed, particularly in the region of the fold lines so that the width of the closed locking sleeves differ, and the overlapping portion of the tying material are not absolutely reliably locked.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the invention to overcome the above-explained disadvantages of prior art constructions, and to provide an automatic apparatus for applying accurately and uniformly shaped locking sleeves to tying material.

Another object of the invention is to use a band consisting of successive preformed locking sleeve blanks which are successively severed from the band and deformed into closed locking sleeves.

Another object of the invention is to construct the shearing means by which the blanks are severed in such a manner that preformed blanks having substantially U-shaped cross sections can be used.

, Another object of the invention is to provide a band consisting of locking sleeve blanks shaped in such a manner that they can be easily applied to overlapping portions of a tying material, and closed and locked about the same.

One embodiment of the invention comprises supporting means, such as a table, for supporting a package with a'surrounding tying material having overlapping portions; feeding means for stepwise feeding a band of interconnected open locking sleeve blanks in steps corresponding to the length of the blanks; first shearing abutment means on the supporting means for engaging and supporting blanks fed by said feeding means, and being preferably shaped to function as guide means for blanks having a U-shaped cross section; operating means mounted on the supporting means for movement between a first position, a. second position and an intermediate position, and including second shearing abutment means located in the first position of the operating means to engage and support the leading fed blank on one side while the other side of the next following fed blank is supported by the first shearing abutment means, located in the intermediate position to cooperate with the first shearing abutment means to sever the leading locking sleeve blank from the next following blank, and located in the second position to support the severed blank; closing means supported by the operating means, which preferably include an arm turnable in a vertical plane, for movement with the same so that the closing means is located in the region of the leading blank in the first position and in the region of the overlapping portions of the tying material in the second position of the operating means, the closing means being also movable relative to the operating means between an open position for embracing the leading blank and a closing position for forming the blank into a locking sleeve; and control means preferably including rotary cam means, and cam follower means for moving the operating means and the closing means in such a timed relation that the closing means is in the open position and receives and embraces the leading blank in the first and intermediate positions, and moves to the closing position to deform the severed leading blank into a locking sleeve in the second position of the operating means.

The leading blank is formed into a locking sleeve surrounding and locking the overlapping portions of the tying material, whereupon the closing means are again opened and the operating means moved to the first position before the next package is tied.

In accordance with the invention, the band of preformed locking sleeve blanks is stepwise fed so that the leading blank is first guided by the first shearing abutment means and then guided by the second shearing abutment means to a position located between two jaws of the closing means. After severing of the leading blank the same mova with the operating arm while resting on a correspondingly shaped surface of the second shearing abutment means, and is placed on the overlapping portions of the tying material which surrounds a package. When the jaws are now closed, the blank abuts on the second shearing abutment means with its central part so that its lateral parts are bent about the overlapping portions of the tying material.

The package is located on a table above the apparatus, and the tying material is wound about the package and a portion of the table so that the overlapping portions of the tying material are located under the table, and the closing of the locking sleeve blank by the jaws of the closing means cannot do any damage to the package.

It is a particular advantage of theinlvention that the shearing means also perform the function of guiding the locking sleeve blanks while the same are being fed, and that the second shearing means on the operating arrn serves also as an anvil when the respective blank is formed by the closing jaws into a closed locking sleeve.

The operating arm is preferably constructed of two spaced arm members between which the closing jaws and the linkage including cam follower means for operating the closing jaws are located. A link operated by cam follower means is also connected to a pivot pin between the two arm members to move the operating arm up and down between the lowest position for receiving the blank, an intermediate position for severing the blank, and a highest position in which the blank is deformed into a locking sleeve. Preferably, lateral rolls abut the arm members of the operating arm to guide the same during its movement in a vertical plane.

The stationary first shearingabutment means 67 has a guide portion shaped to guide the blanks in the feeding direction. For example, a projecting guide portion extends along the channel formed by blanks having a U-shaped cross section. Consequently, when the second shearing abutment means moves upwardly and severs the leading blank in the intermediate position of the operating arm, the preceding blank which is supported and guided by the first shearing abutment means is not deformed since the bottom portion and the lateral portions of the blank abut the guide portion of the first shearing abutment means.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the feeding means include a friction coupling, and stop means limiting the movement of an oscillatingtransporting pawl so that the pawl can be reciprocated a distance corresponding to the spacing of the blank forming the fed band. When the stop means limit movement, the friction coupling slips so that insufficient feeding motions are reliably prevented.

Preferably, resilient arresting means are provided for arresting the fed band during the return stroke of the feeding pawl so that only forward stepwise feeding movement in uniform steps is possible.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Tie invention itself, however, both as to its construc- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary schematic elevation illustrating an apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevation illustrating a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1 on a larger scale and in greater detail;

FIG. 3 is a sideelevation of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating a detail of the apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating two connected locking sleeve blanks forming part of a band;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the package supporting table; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustration of an arresting means to used to properly position locking sleeve blanks.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The illustrated apparatus is suitable for tying packages of all kinds, the tying material, such as a deformable band, being laid about the package in a manual operation whereupon the apparatus of the invention automatically tightens the loop about the package, and applies locking sleeves to the overlapping portions of the tying material, which are then cut off.

Referring now to the drawing, the machine 8 has supporting means includinga housing 10 mounted on wheels 9 and having a cover 11 which serves partly as a table for a package 12. A tying material 13 is wound up on a supply reel 14 in housing 10, and is guided through a sleeve 15 out of the housing. The supply reel 14 is rotatably mounted between two prongs of the fork-shaped end portion of a drive shaft 16 which is rotated by a motor 18. Since supply reel 14 is turned about an axis perpendicular to its axis, a certain twist is produced in the tying material 13 whichlcompensates the twist produced in the tying material when the same is laid in loops about packages 12. Motor 18 is connected by a one revolution clutch with shaft 16 so that the same is turned one revolution and then stopped.

The tying material is held under table 11 by a holding means 19 including a fixed jaw 19a, a movable jaw 19b spring-biased toward jaw 19a and locking means locking jaw 19b in an open position, and being manually operable to release jaw 19b so that overlapping portions of the tying material are clamped by the jaws. Holding means 19 is connected by cam follower means with a cam 19c on shaft 16 and operated by the same. A suitable length of the tying material is wound off reel 14 by manual operation and laid about package 12 in. a manual operation and about a lateral rectangular projecting portion 20 of the table 11, on which portion 20, package 12 rests, and passes under a clamping abutment 21. The width of table portion 20 corresponds to the width of a package 12 so that the tying material can be wound around both. Overlapping portions of the tying material are formed under the projecting table portion 20. Projections 28 space the overlapping portions of the tying material 13 from the bottom face of the projecting table portion 20. A cutting device 29 is provided in the same region for cutting off the tying material 13 after the overlapping portions of the same have been connected to each other by a locking sleeve, as will be described hereinafter. A clamping lever 22 is urged by a spring 23 to turn to a position in which its rounded off end presses tying material 13 against clamping abutment 21, but is normally held in a position spaced from clamping abutment 21 by a lever 26 which has a projection abutting a projection 24 of clamping lever 22 under the action of a spring 27 which is stronger than spring 23. When lever 26 is manually operated to release lever 22, spring 23 operates clamping lever 22 to clamp the tying material 13 against clamping abutment 21. Clamping abutment 21 and clamping lever 22 are mounted on a slide 121 which is connected by cam follower means, not shown, with a cam 21a on shaft 16, and guided on rails under table 11. This device is known,-and part of the prior'art.

A switch 26a electrically connected with motor 18 is operated when lever 26 is manually depressed so that shaft 16 is turned one revolution and displaces by cam means 21a and cam follower means, not shown, movable the slide 121 with lever 22 and clamping abutment 21 in a horizontal direction while clamping lever 22 clamps the tying material so that the loop about package 12 is tightened, the other end of the loop being held by holding means 19.

Operating means 30 are provided for applying a locking sleeve to the overlapping portions of the tying material under the projecting table portion 20. Operating means 30 includes a substantially U-shaped operating arm 31 which is mounted on a horizontal shaft 32 for turning movement, as best seen in FIG. 3. Arm 31 has two lateral arm members 34, and spacing means rigidly connecting the am members spaced from each other.

Closing means in the form of a pair of jaws 33 are mounted for pivotal movement between the two lateral arm members. Between the jaws 33, a shearing abutment means 35 is mounted, which serves as an abutment for a locking sleeve blank having a U-shaped cross section. Arm 31 is shown in its lowest position, and can be turned about shaft 32 to a position in which its end portion carrying the jaws 33 is perpendicular to table portion 20. This end portion is guided between a pair of rollers 36 which are stationarily supported and roll on the outer lateral faces of the arm members 34 during vertical pivotal movement of arm 31.

Shaft 32 carries a cam 37 which is secured to a pulley 38 for rotation therewith. A cam follower roller 40 is mounted on a cam follower means 39 which is pivotally mounted on arm 31 between arm members 34, and biassed by spring 47 to a position in which cam follower roller 40 engages cam 37. One arm of cam follower lever 39 is pivotally connected with a link 41 which is connected to a linkage 44 including a pair of toggle levers 45 pivotally connected with jaws 33. During rotation of cam 37, the linkage means 39, 41, 44, 45 is operated to move the closing jaws 33 from the illustrated open position to a closing position for deforming a locking sleeve blank. The linkage means is located between the two lateral ann members 34, and includes adjusting means 42 for varying the length of link 41. The two parts of link 41 are connected by a threaded spindle having at the ends opposite threads threaded into bores of the two portions of link 41 so that by turning of adjusting knob 42 on the spindle, the two portions of link 41 can be moved toward each other or away from each other for adjusting the normal position of closing jaws 33. In order to clearly show the linkage means, one arm member 34 is omitted in FIG. 3.

Pulley 38 is connected by a belt with a pulley 54 having the same diameter and being carried by shaft 16 so that cam 37 performs one revolution when shaft 16 performs a single revolution. Shaft 16 carries another cam 53 cooperating with the cam follower roller 52 on a cam follower lever which is articulated to a bracket 50 on the stationary supporting means, and to an adjustable link which is pivotally connected with a portion of operating arm 31 by pivot means connecting the two arm members 34. The length of the link is adjustable by a spindle 51. When shaft 16 is turned one revolution, cam 53 operates the linkage 50, 52, 51 to move the operating arm 31 from the illustrated lowestfirst position through an intermediate position to a second position in which the closing jaws 33 are located in the region of the overlapping portions of the tying material directly under the projecting table portion 20.

The engaging end portions of the closing jaws 33 are provided with recesses 56 located opposite projections on an upper abutment face of shearing means 35, as best seen in FIG. 4. As a result, locking sleeves closed by jaws 33, and pressed by the same against the abutment face of member 35, are corrugated along the length thereof so that the overlapping portions of the'tying material are very securely locked by the closed locking sleeve, particularly if the tying material is a band consisting of a synthetic plastic material.

As best seen in. FIG. 5, each locking sleeve blank is preformed to have a substantially U-shaped cross section, with bottom parts interconnected by webs 61 and lateral outwardly slanting portions 62. The outward slant of the lateral portions 62 of the locking sleeve blank 60 has the advantage that the band consisting of locking sleeve blanks can be wound into a reel while the blanks of superimposed windings nest in each other.

The wound reel of the band consisting of blanks 60 is placed in a magazine 64, and guided out of the same so that it can be unwound.

The blank band is guided along a guide member 65 which is supported on a carrier 66. The end portion 67 of guide I member 65 has a shape best seen in H0. 3 with a central guide portion whose outline corresponds -to the channel formed between the lateral portions 62 of each locking sleeve blank 60. The end face of guide means 65, 67 is located in the same vertical plane as the end face of shearing means 35 on arm 31 so that portion 67 fonns a shearing means cooperating with shearing means 35. 1n the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, shearing means 35 and 67 are spaced but located at the same level, and the leading fed locking sleeve blank 60 can be placed on shearing means 35, while the next following locking sleeve blank embraces shearing means 67. As best seen in FIG. 3, shearing means 67 and guide means 65 are slanted to table 20, corresponding to the slant of the abutment face of shearing means 35 in the low position of operating arm 31 shown in the drawing. The lower edge of shearing means 67 is constructed as a shearing edge. It will be seen that upward movement of operating arm 31 will result in sliding of the end faces of shearing means 67 and 35 along each other so that the leading blank 60 will be severed in the region of a web 61.

During such upward movement, the next following blank 60 which is still in the region of shearing and guide means 67, will abut the slanted faces of the same so that the shape of the blank is preserved irrespective of the shearing force and the displacement of the severed leading-blank.

Successive blanks are fed out of magazine 64 by feeding means which include a reciprocating cam driven rod 71 articulated to an eccentric member 70 which has a friction face abutting a confronting frictionface of a lever 68 which carries a pawl 69'witha fork-shaped end which is urged by a torsion spring 69a abutting a stop 69b into engagement with a band portion between two adjacent blanks 60 so that the prongs of pawl 69 are located on opposite sides of thewebs 61 and engage the edges of the lateral portions 62 of the blanks 60; Lever 68 is mounted on a pivot 73 which also supports eccentric member 70, and'dished springs 74 are'urged by. a nut 75 on the threaded end of pivot 73 to press the confronting friction faces of members 68 and 70 into frictional engagement; A bracket 76 supports a pair ofstop screws 77 which are secured in adjusted positions by counter nuts 78, and which cooperate with lever 68 to stop the same in two angular positions. By adjustment of stop screws 77, the length of the stroke of pawl 69 can be adjusted'to the spacing of theblanks, and due to the provision of a friction coupling between members 70=and 68, member 70 can be moved'by cam follower rod 71cooperating with cam 71a on shaft16, a greater angle than lever 68 is permitted to turn by stop screws 77. In this manner, insufiicient advancement of the blanks 60during each stepwise movement on guide bar 72 is prevented, while the correct length of the reciprocating stroke of pawl'69 is determined by stop screws 77. An arresting means 80 is fixedly secured and has a long resilient arm on at least one side of blankband 60 with an inwardly bent end portion serving as a catch which snaps into the notches between successive blanks 60to arrest the blank band in positions in which the leading blank islocated in the correct position between the jaws-33and on member 35. The end portion 804 of arresting means 80 is spaced from the engaging portion of pawl 69 amultiple of the length of "a blank 60. During the return stroke of pawl 69, arresting means 80 prevents displacement of the band of blanks 60.

The apparatus operatesas follows:

Tying material 13, which may be aband consisting ofa synthetic plastic material, is held by holding means 19, and is manually laid in a loop about package 12 and projecting table portion 20 on which the package 12 rests, so that overlapping portions are formed under projecting table portion 20 which are held by spacing means 28 spaced from the same.

Lever 26 is manually depressed so that the tying material 13 is clamped between members 21 and 22 which are located between supply reel 14 and holding means 19. Depression of lever 26 operates switch 260 which causes start of motor 18 and rotation of shaft 16 for a single revolution so that a cam means 21a, on shaft 16 effects through a cam follower means, not shown, movement of clamping slide 121 with abutment 21 and lever 22 toward the right as viewed in HO. 1 whereby the loop about package 12 is tightened while the end of the tying material is retained by holding means 19.

Drive rod 71 is also operated by a cam 71a on shaft 16 to cause operation of the feeding means, and a forward stroke of transporting pawl 69 by which the leading sleeve 60, which was located under guide means 65 and shearing means 67, is advanced to a position located on shearing means 35 which is possible since shearing means 35 and closing jaws 33 are located at the level of the transported band of blanks when operating arm 31 is in its first lowest position, shown in FIG. 3.

The further turning of shaft 16 displaces cam 53 so that the linkage 50, 52, 51 turns operating, arm 31 in clockwise direction about shaft 32 to an intermediate position in which the web 61 between the leading blank 60 on shearing means 35 and the next following blank 60 engaged by shearing means 67, is severed by the cooperation of the end faces of shearing means 67 and shearing means 35. Deformation of the second blank is not possible since its lateral portions 62 abut correspondingly slanted guide faces of shearing means 67.

Operating arm 31 continues its upward movement with the severed leading blank resting on the abutment face of shearing means 35 between the closing jaws 33. During this movement of operating arm 31, cam 37 is rotated. Cam 37 has such a shape that at first no motion is transmitted by its cam follower means to the jaws 33-, but when the operating arm 31 arrives in its upper second end position, not shown, in which overlapping portions of the'tying material 13 enter into the channel formed by theblank between the jaws, the linkage 40, 39, 41, 44, 45 is operated by cam 37 to move jaws 33 to a closing position deforming the lateral portions 62 of the blank so that asubstantially tubular locking sleeve is formed about the overlapping portions of the tying material] 13 which are securely thus locked to each'othenparticularly dueto the corrugations produced by the recesses-56 in jaws 33 and the cooperating projections 57 on the. abutment face of shearing member 35. Before the blanks are deformed into sleeves, the lateral portions 62 are first pushed to a position perpendicular to the bottom wall of the blank so that the overlapping portions of the tyingmaterial 13 canbe'embraced by the blank 60.

When the closed lockingisleeve has been formed of a blank 60, jaws 33 are opened by the action of spring 47 which is permitted by a corresponding cam portion of cam 37. Operating arm 31 is turned by the force'of gravity to its lowest position which is permitted by a corresponding recessed portion of cam 53.

Holding means 19 is now operated from a cam on cam shaft 16 to release the tying material 13 held thereby, and to move to a position, not shown, located on the other side of cutting. means 29 where holding means 19 is manually operated and again grips a portion of the tying material located between clamping abutment 211 and cutting means 19. After'cutting, holder 29 moves back to the position shown in FIG. I under control of cam 19, pulling the tying material 13 through the gap between clamping abutment 21 and clamping lever 22 which was opened when lever 26 was manually released. The initial condition of the apparatus is thus restored, and a new package can be placed on the projecting table 20 and provided with aloop of the tying material 13. The construction and operation of holding means 19 is part of the prior art and not an object of the invention.

The shape of the closing jaws may be modified, and the looping of the tying material about the package, and the tensioning of the loop and the cutting off'of the finally tied loop may be accomplished by different apparatus than described. Also, operating arm 31 may be differently shaped and reciprocated.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other band of package tying machines differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an apparatus for placing locking sleeve blanks on overlapping portions of a tying band surrounding a package, and for deforming the blanks into locking sleeves connecting the ends of the loop about the package, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

1 claim: A

1. Apparatus for applying locking sleeves to tying material, comprising, in combination, supporting means for supporting a package with a surrounding tying material having overlapping portions; feeding means for stepwise feeding a band of interconnected open locking sleeve blanks; first shearing abutment means on said supporting means for engaging and supporting blanks fed by said feeding means; an operating arm mounted on said supporting means for movement between a first position, a second position, and an intermediate position, and including second shearing abutment means located in said first position to engage and support the leading fed blank on one side thereof while the other side of the next following fed blank is supported by said first shearing abutment means, located in said intermediate position to cooperate with said first shearing abutment means to sever said leading locking sleeve blank from said next following blank, and located in said second position to support said severed blank; closing means including two pivot means on said arm, and two interconnected jaws mounted on said pivot means, respectively, on opposite sides of said second shearing abutment means, said jaws moving with'said arm so that said jaws are located in the region of said leading blank in said first position and in the region of said overlapping portions in said second position of said am, said jaws being turnable on said pivot means toward and away from each other relative to said arm between an open position for embracing said leading blank in said first and intermediate positions of said arm, and a closing position for deforming said blank into a locking sleeve; first control means for moving said arm between said positions of the same; and second control means for moving said jaws between said positions of the same in such timed relation that said jaws are in said open position and embrace said leading blank in said first and intermediate positions and move to said closing position to defonn said severed leading blank, while the same is supported on said second shearing abutment means, into a locking sleeve locking the overlapping portions of said tying material to each other in said second position of said arm.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said supporting means includes a horizontal table for supporting said package above said arm, said closing means, said feeding means, and said first and second shearing abutment means.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first shearing abutment means has a guide and support portion shaped to guide said blanks in said feeding direction and to support the same, and also has a shearing end face bounded by a shearing edge.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first control means include a first rotary cam means and first cam follower means connected with said arm for moving the same between said first, intermediate, and second positions; wherein said second control means include a second rotary cani means and second cam follower means connected with said jaws for moving the same between said open and closed positions; and comprising drive means for driving said first and second rotary cam means in timed relation.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein each of said cam follower means includes a linkage having a member whose length is adjustable, and means for adjusting the respective member.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first and second cam follower means, respectively, include first and second linkages; wherein said arm includes two arm members and means spacing said am members from each other; and wherein said first and second linkages, said jaws, pivots, and said second shearing means are located between said arm members, and mounted on the same.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising a pair of guide rollers mounted on said supporting means and abutting opposite sides of said arm for guiding the same for movement in said plane.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said feeding means include a reciprocating drive member, spring-biassed feeding pawl means cooperating with said band of locking sleeve blanks, and a linkage between said drive member and said pawl means including a friction coupling whereby said pawl means is reciprocated to stepwise advance said band.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said linkage includes a lever connected with said pawl means, an eccentric cam member connected with said reciprocating drive member, pivot means connecting said member with said lever, said member and said lever having confronting friction faces, and spring means urging said member and said lever to a position in which said friction faces are in contact whereby said friction coupling is formed by said friction faces.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 comprising adjustable stop means for limiting movement of said lever in two end positions whereby said pawl means reciprocates in steps corresponding to the spacing of said blanks.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 comprising supply means for supplying said band of blanks to said pawl means; and resilient arresting means located between said pawl means and said supply means laterally of said band for engaging spaced portion of said band located between said blanks for arresting said blank during return strokes of said pawl means.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the distance between the operative portions of said arresting means and said pawl means is a multiple of the length of said blanks.

13. Apparatus for applying locking sleeves to tying material, comprising, in combination, supporting means for supporting a package with a surrounding tying material having overlapping portions; feeding means for stepwise feeding a band of interconnected open locking sleeve blanks; first shearing abutment means on said supporting means for engaging and supporting blanks fed by said feeding means; operating means mounted on said supporting means for movement between a first position, a second position, and an intermediate position, and including second shearing abutment means located in said first position to engage and support the leading fed blank on one side thereof while the other side of the next following fed blank is supported by said first shearing abutment means, located in said intermediate position to cooperate with said first shearing abutment means to sever said leading locking sleeve blank from said next following blank, and located in said second position to support said severed blank; closing means supported by said operating means for movement with the same so that said closing means is located in the region of said leading blank in said first position and in the region of said overlapping portions in said second position of said operating means, and being also movable relative to said operating means between an open position for embracing said leading blank and a closing position for forming said blank into a locking sleeve; first control means including first rotary .cam means and first cam follower means connected with said operating means for moving the same between said first, intermediate, and second positions; second control means including second rotary cam means and second cam follower means connected with said-closing means for moving the same between said open and closing positions; and drive means for driving said first and second rotary cam means in such timed relation that said closing means is in said open position and embraces said leading blank in said first and intermediate positions, and moves to said closing position to deform the severed leading blank, while the same is supported on said second shearing abutment means, into a locking sleeve locking the overlapping portions of said tying material to each other in said second position of said operating means.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein said drive means include a drive shaft for rotating one of said rotary cam means, and transmission means connecting said first and second cam means for rotation.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein said second control means include a shaft having an axis and fixedly carrying said second rotary cam means; and wherein said operating means is mounted on said shaft for angular movement between said positions thereof; and wherein said second cam follower means is movably mounted on said operating means and moves with the same along a circular path having the center thereof in the axis of said shaft: and second cam means. 

